Coca-Cola Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Coca-Cola Company - Research Paper Example Indeed, Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management processes add to the company’s firmly embedded financial leadership in the non-alcoholic beverage market segment. Introduction Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management plans catapults the entity as one of the world’s popular non-alcoholic beverages. The research centers on the history of Coca Cola. The research includes producing a financial statement analysis of Coca Cola America. The study incorporates the similarities and differences between the production processes of both Coca Cola America and Coca Cola Mexico. Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management processes precipitates to the company’s current financial leadership in the non-alcoholic beverage market segment. History of Coca-Cola. Lonnie Bell (2004) emphasized Coca – Cola, the world’s soft drink, was accidentally invented by Dr. John Pemberton. Dr. Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, formulat ed the Coca-Cola syrup using a three legged brass pot. Dr. Pemberton used two chief ingredients for his invention in 1886. The two ingredients are coca plant and the Kola nut. The Coca plant is a good source of Cocaine. However, Dr. Pemberton insisted that Coca Cola contains only 1 % Cocaine percentage. Paul Gootenberg (1999) theorized â€Å"Cocaine made its first appearance in the United States during the 1880s, when physicians first interested themselves in the drug's therapeutic potential. Limited at first to a relatively narrow range of therapeutic use, cocaine's popularity grew far beyond the boundaries of medical practice. By the late 1890s, many observers came to believe that the popular... This paper stresses that Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management plans catapults the entity as one of the world’s popular non-alcoholic beverages. The research centers on the history of Coca Cola. The research includes producing a financial statement analysis of Coca Cola America. The study incorporates the similarities and differences between the production processes of both Coca Cola America and Coca Cola Mexico. Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management processes precipitates to the company’s current financial leadership in the non-alcoholic beverage market segment. This report makes a conclusion that based on the above discussion, Coca Cola’s strategic marketing as well as management plan contributes to company’s retaining its century old popularity in the non-alcoholic beverages market segment. The constant innovative changes in the company’s packaging and ingredients translate to the current pinnacle of Coca Cola’s financial success. The financial statement analysis indicates Coca Cola’s innovative and creative production and marketing strategies significantly contribute to Coca Cola’s current favorable financial picture. There are some similarities and differences between the production processes of both Coca Cola America and Coca Cola Mexico. Indeed, Coca Cola’s strategic marketing and management processes metamorphose to the company’s firmly entrenched financial leadership in the non-alcoholic beverage market segment.

Human Resource Management in a Global Company

Human Resource Management in a Global Company First Chapter Introduction Groups of people see the world through their own set of assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Learn about their culture and how it formed them, and aim to understand how other culture work so that everyone can be an effective global manager. Organization from every part of the world is reaching out beyond their domestic markets to become international players. Not only is this very challenging on the business them, but it also creates a challenge for individual managers who must cope with working across geographic and cultural borders. Managing globally provides clear systems and approaches to help manage global networks and teams, and it examines the skills needed for dealing with different cultures. It teaches how to succeed in this new world. This is widely recognised that an organisational diversity is obvious and necessary nowadays because of increasing pace of economic and technological development. Organisations need to be flexible if they seek to remain competitive and want to survive in a long run. This research explores the phenomenon of diversity in one of UK’s leading super market named Sainsbury’s (London Colney). The researcher intends to examine what the policy to work with different culture people and how management manage working with diversity people in workplace in the store in last two years I have seen. 1.1 What we think about culture: Hofstede, (1991) defined culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category from another’. It’s about share your beliefs, values, expectations of a particular group of people and differentiates them from a member of other groups. It can be found at many different levels. Each cultural world operates according to its own internal dynamic, principles and its own laws. As individuals, we generally only become aware of our own culture when confronted by others. Cultural differences are significant differences which have been identified across countries based on observed cultural dimensions. 1.2 Why culture consider in a multinational company: Multinational companies are completely different from export-based firms not least because of their foreign subsidiaries. Not only does physical distance pose a challenge for effective communication, but also there is the challenge represented by cultural differences. Some MNCs have regarded cultural differences as so important that they have chosen to operate as multi-domestics with decision-making, management style and product development. The attitude is that people in the subsidiaries know best and should be allowed to go their own ways. For example, the attitudes in the Dutch electronics firm Philips for most of the previous century. The downside of this approach is the fiefdom and ‘not-invented-here’ mentality, which resulted in Philips’ North American subsidiary refusing to adopt the Philips video recorder (V2000) and opting instead for the rival Japanese model. However, many MNCs, including Philips since 1987, require a much greater degree of coordination, particularly in regard to learning. To do so, these firms must develop common practices and common values. If foreign subsidiaries are to be integrated for knowledge-sharing purposes, a starting point is an understanding of the mindsets of subsidiary management and employees in terms of their work-related values. The management challenge for many MNCs is to be able to adapt their organizations to culturally distinct environments without losing organizational stability. 1.3 About an organisation: Sainsbury’s is one of the leading retail super markets with approximately 792 stores all over the UK. There are some others supermarkets (Tesco, ASDA, Iceland and Somerfield) in UK which are the competitors of Sainsbury’s. All of them are trying their best to provide good services to their customers and working under diversity workplace. For the present research the researcher has taken Sainsbury’s London Colney to study about diversity. There were many reasons to select Sainsbury’s London Colney for this research. One of the reasons was that this is a big store with 350 employees working in different shifts (morning, evening, day, night and some are working as seasonal employees). The management of this store comprises on around 20 to 30 people. This is a 24 hours store, located in the retail park and is very busy because of its location and also because this is close to M25 and people can get everything from the same store and also there is some other shop near to Sainsbury’s like M S, Next, Boots and so on. The second reason to select this store as a case study was that the researcher is working in this store in its customer services and checkouts department so the researcher as a participant has enough experience to work with different culture people in the store in the last two years. The sample size of this research (which includes on management and employees) was also easily approachable to get the relevant data. The researcher was quite hopeful that management and employees will cooperate with him for collecting data. 1.3.1 Company policy and commitment to colleagues: There is much legislation surrounding the area of diversity and at the same time this provides a minimum standard for this policy, it is the company’s intention to move beyond simple legal compliance where appropriate. This policy exists to enable a working environment in which everyone feels valued and respected in everything that they do. Innovative thinking and different ideas are critical to Sainsbury’s success and their ability to develop new ways of adding value for their customers will be greatly enhanced by the diversity of experiences and perspectives amongst their colleagues. Their ability to attract and retain the highest ability of colleagues from the widest community is essential in sustaining a leadership position. The aim of the company is that all colleagues will be able to work in a diversity environment, where they will be free from discrimination. They are managing their colleagues under the principles of fairness and objectivity, which is integrated into all of the ways. According to Sainsbury’s policy, they will not accept or ignore unfair decisions, practices or requirements that qualify or exclude an individual from meeting essential employment requirements. They include, but are not limited to, a person’s age, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion. The equal of men and women are monitored and action taken where necessary and appropriate to ensure parity. In line with their flexible working policy, they will make it possible for colleagues to achieve a balance between their work and home commitments. They will ensure that the opportunities presented through diversity will be integrated into the development of new products and services that add value for their customers. The performance and effectiveness of Sainsbury’s diversity commitment and demographic colleague make-up of their stores are continuously reviewed and where improvement is identified, action has been taken. Any breaches of this policy have been treated seriously and also dealt with under their disciplinary policy. 1.4 Background/Current situation: As we know, now a day’s diversity is a one of the inclusive concepts and based on valuing everyone as a unique individual and celebrating this difference. The management of diversity is about individuals. The management of diversity goes beyond equal opportunities, instead of simply allowing a greater range of people getting more opportunity. The concept of diversity embodies the belief that people should be valued for their difference and variety. Diversity is supposed to enrich an organizations human capital, whereas equal opportunity focuses on various ethnic groups. As I said before that researcher is working in Sainsbury’s (London Colney) and have seen lots of differences about diversity. There are most of the people from Asian ethnic. But we have some Irish, African, Chinese and British as well. As I work in this store I have found some favour for same ethnic group. And for that other ethnic became sometime very aggressive. And from management level, there is also some gender valuing problem. We have seen lots of female managers rather then males. But other, like they don’t differentiate between ages, disabilities, colours and so on. So far you can say, they follow the procedures and that’s why they are success in business now a days. My research is about how they manage, and do they really follow the diversity policies? So, I intend to demonstrate, how a human resource manager can manage all those area and successfully complete company’s mission with different people. All overall, a self assessment for international human resource managers to evaluate and improve their global management skills. 1.5 Aims/Objectives: The primary aim of the research is therefore: To examine diversity, equality and discrimination issues in a multinational company, in particular, the way of HR managers to manage work with different culture people. The research objectives are: To determine what’s the company policy about diversity to manage work with different culture people and to become a successful global manager, aim to develop a global outlook. To outline the development of approaches to organizational analysis. To explore a multicultural company from the perspectives of diverse social groups. An international human resource manager needs to know the way of managing people in twenty first century. We are going to take an overview of what a manager needs to do in relations to managing people in a changing environment. I will be looking at: Diversity issues. International Human Resource Management policies. Managing people in a practical way. To examine the way of recruiting, and selecting the right people. As a human resource manager, we are likely to manage other people on a one- to-one basis. This involves understanding people as individuals and recognizing their differences as well as drawing up some general principles for managing them like motivates them, job satisfaction, and job design. Having accepted that there is a range of reasons why people behave differently in a work situation and that cannot make wild and generalized assumptions about any individual’s reasons for performing better or worse than average, we will recognize that when we put individuals together into a group, the behavior of that group is likely to be changeable. So it is important that they understand about the behavior of groups. So, all overall I will be going through with literature review to practical experiences to find my research project. Second Chapter Literature Review Everyone is different in age, gender, nationality, and ways of thinking. These differences are a source of strength. The concept of diversity means respect and acceptance. It means understanding each individual is unique and recognizing our individual’s differences. It can be the aspects of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political views and so on. It is exploration of these differences in a safe positive and development environment. Diversity is about creating an all-inclusive work environment that values and benefits from different human attributes, experiences, and skills at all levels and enables all employees to develop and contribute to their full potential. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple acceptance to implementation and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Diversity and equality has become a key driving force in government policies. The concepts of diversity and equality are common but still there are some differences. Diversity is the acknowledgement and respect of differences within and between groups of people. And equality is the framework that enables access, participation, opportunities and contribution that is fair and inclusive. According to Lew Platt (1993-1995) â€Å"I believe the word â€Å"diverse† includes not only different genders and races, but also different cultures, lifestyle and ways of thinking†. 2.1 Diversity Management at work: The concepts of workplace diversity include the principles of equal employment opportunity. Equal employment opportunity policies address continued disadvantages experienced by particular groups of people in the workplace, including people with disabilities and those who mistreated by co-workers on the basis of race or ethnicity. These policies remain an important foundation for workplace diversity policy. Diversity management involves systematic and planned programs or procedures that are considered to improve interaction among diverse people, especially people of different ethnicities, sexes, or cultures. And to make this diversity, a source of inspiration, complementarities, and greater organizational effectiveness should be provided rather than a source of tension, conflict, miscommunication, or limitation on the effectiveness. 2.2 Diversity Approaches: The issues that diversity representatives focus on vary by country. In some countries, the question of language is important, some countries depends on ethnic group, or may be depend on ages. ‘Managing Diversity’ is a term that entered UK debates on equality approaches in the mid-1990s. While it is becoming increasingly common in the UK, there is still disagreement about its meaning and the extent to which it differs from previous approaches. One of the things which do seem to be distinct is the way these approaches deal with differences between employees. The traditional approach to equal opportunities seeks to treat everyone the same. Managing diversity approaches recognises that employees are different and suggest that workplace can get benefit from those differences. What this means for organizations is that they need to adapt to employee characteristics rather than simply expecting from employees to fit with pre-existing policies. The more fundamental alternative would be to restructure the way work is carried out so that everyone can be flexible for that. Another example would be the approach taken to ensuring that appraisal was carried out in a fair manner. A diversity approach would take a more radical look at what types of behaviour and activity are valued by the organization to see whether these are more commonly practised by members of one group rather than another. Business case arguments for diversity share many elements with equal opportunities approaches but they tend to stress additional arguments. These have included claims that diverse teams are more innovative than ones composed of homogeneous individuals and that non-traditional workers can reflect the needs of a wider customer base. Diversity approaches also place a strong emphasis on creating a culture within which everyone feels they belong and are empowered to reach their full potential. One aspect of this inclusiveness is an attempt to find policies which seem equally relevant to all employees. The second alternative is seen as the more radical approach. It argues that there are multiple sources of difference which are as important as those based on gender or ethnicity. People are not defined by whether they are from European or Asian background but instead vary along a numerous of dimensions including personalities and tastes. This approach to managing diversity is strongly focused on individuals as the objects of equality policy and as such is in line with wider trends to individualise employee relations. 2.3 Managing people: Management is often defining as â€Å"getting things done through people† Michael Armstrong (1998). By definition, managers cannot do everything themselves. They have to rely on other people. Managers are sometimes said to spend their time planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling. In practice, the work of managers is quite fragmented. It depends demand on the situation and on the people concerned than on any academic division of the task into clearly differentiated elements. Managers dealing with people: internally with their bosses, their colleagues and their staff; externally with their customers, suppliers, professional advisers and national and local government officials. A leading writer on management, Henry Mintzberg has suggested that managers have: Interpersonal roles: acting as a leader, providing guidance and motivation and maintaining a web of relationship with many individuals and groups. Informational roles: continually seeking and receiving information as a basis for action, passing on factual information, and transmitting guidance to subordinates in making decision. Resource allocation roles: making choices about scheduling their own time, allocating task to people and authorizing actions. Disturbance handling roles: dealing with involuntary situations and change beyond their control. The human resources of an organization consist of all people who perform its activities. In a sense, all decisions that affect the workforce concern the organization’s HRM function. Human resource management concerns the personnel policies and managerial practices and system that influence the workforce. Regardless of the size-or existence-of a formal HRM or personnel department (many small businesses have no HRM department). So as an example, line managers will spend more than 50% of their time involved in human resource activities such as hiring, evaluating, disciplining and scheduling employees. But the jobs are not done yet. As a manager they need to look after employees’ performance. On the based of performance they need to motivate them, understand them and evaluating them. 2.4 Key concepts for Global Managers: The following concepts contain the underlying message of this article. These concepts have direct relevance to the effectiveness of global managers. An understanding and utilization of these concepts are critical to one’s successful global performance. Global leadership- being competent of operating effectively in a global environment and respectful of cultural diversity. This is an individual who can manage accelerating change and differences. The global leader is open and flexible in approaching others can cope with situations and willing to re-examine and alter personal attitudes and perceptions. Cross cultural communication- recognizing what is involved in one’s image of self and one’s role, values, standards, values, and expectations, which are culturally circumstance. Such a person understands the impact of cultural factors on communication. Most of the people are aware of verbal and non- verbal differences in communication with persons from another culture. Not only does such a person seek to learn another language, but also they are aware that, even when people speak the same language, cultural differences can alter communication symbols and meanings and result in misunderstanding. Cultural sensitivity- a person understands the cultural influences on behaviour. This individual behaviour translates such cultural awareness into effective relationships with those who are different. Acculturation- effectively adjusting and adapting to a specific culture, whether that be a subculture within one’s own country or abroad. Such a person knows the impact of culture shock in successfully managing transitions. Therefore, when dealing with employees from diverse cultural backgrounds, this person develops the necessary skills and avoids being ethnocentric. Cultural influences on management- understanding that management philosophies are deeply rooted in culture and that management practices developed in one culture may not easily transfer to another. Effective intercultural performance- applying cultural theory and policies to specific cross-cultural situations that affect people’s performance on jobs. Changing international business- coping with interdependence of business activity throughout the world as well as the subculture of the managerial group. The global manager appreciates the effect of cultural differences on standard business practices and principles, such as organisational loyalty. Cultural synergy- building on the very differences in the world’s people for mutual growth and accomplishment by co-operation. Cultural synergy through collaboration emphasizes similarities and common concerns and integrates differences to enrich human activities and systems. Work culture- applying the general characteristics of culture that how people work at a point in time and place. In the macro sense, work can be analysed in terms of human stages of development. In the micro sense, work culture can be studied in terms of specific industries, organizations or professional groups. Global culture- understanding that, while various characteristics of human culture have always been universal, a unique global culture with some common characteristics might be emerging. Global managers are alert to serving this commonality in human needs and markets with strategies that are transnational. 2.5 Construct area of diversity: Diversity is â€Å"the representation, in one social system, of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance† Cox (1993). Deresky (1994) also highlighted that, the differences between group members illustrated in terms of the extent such as culture, age, race, sexual orientations, gender and ethnic. There are three characteristics of construct area of diversity, which are classified employees differences. These are Demographic, organisational and socio-cognitive diversity. Demographic diversity: According to Jackson et al (1995), diversity such as ethnicity, age, nationality and gender those are considered visible attributes that can be easily characterised in particular individuals. Organisational diversity: The second category is organisational diversity. It may include: a) Staff job security in the firm. b) Work or professional experience. c) Occupation, functional or job portfolios of the employees such as marketing, production, and finance. Socio-cognitive diversity: The last category is socio-cognitive diversity, which includes cultural and religious values, knowledge level, beliefs and personalities characteristics. By establishing and organising the staff according to their distinctive attributes, it will facilitate business managers to have a more objective understanding and appreciation of their diverse staff’s behaviours, attitudes and values, given the implications for interpersonal and organisational processes and outcomes when staff members work together. As peoples values and beliefs vary individually as a result of their socio-cultural differences, this will affect organisational processes and configurations. For examples:- cross-cultural communication, management-subordinate relationships, international team management, leadership and decision-making styles, staff motivations, staff recruitment, selections and development, and other managerial functions. Apart from the jobs, employees also have differences based on their position within society. Whether an employee a man or women, from a particular ethnic group, is of a particular sexual orientations, has a disability may affect what they want from employment and what are able to offer. Some of these differences may also affect people’s access to jobs and their progress within organisations. 2.6 Discrepancies between academic research and HRM practice: While HRM executives and managers are more educated and professional than in the days when they were in charge of personnel, the level of knowledge in practicing HRM in another part. Many companies hire MBAs for HRM jobs when not even a single HRM course is required in the typical curriculum for an MBA. Recruitment: As an Academic research finding, quantitative analysis of recruitment sources using yield ratios can facilitate in recruitment. On the other hand HRM practices, less than 10% calculate yield ratios and less than 25% know how. Staffing: According to academic research findings, realistic job previews can reduce turnover and weighted application blanks reduce turnover. Alternatively, HRM practices, less than 20% of companies use RJPs in high-turnover jobs and less than 30%. Performance appraisal: According to academic research findings, do not use traits on rating forms, make appraisal process important element of manager’s job. On the other hand, more than 70% still use traits, less than 35% of managers are evaluated on performance appraisal. 2.7 International HRM: Domestic HRM is involved with employees within only one national boundary. And we define the field of IHRM broadly to cover all issues related to the management of people in an international context. Hence our definition of IHRM covers a wide range of human resource issues facings MNCs in different parts of their organisations. Additionally, we include comparative analyzes of HRM in different countries. The complexity of international HR can be attributed to six factors: More HR activities. The need for a broader perspective. More involvement in employee’s personal lives. Changes in emphasis as the workplace mix of expatriates and a local varies. Risk exposure. Broader external influences. In addition to complexity, there are four other variables that moderate differences between domestic and international HRM. These four additional moderators are: The cultural environment. The industry with which the multinational is primarily involved. The extent of reliance of the multinational on its home-country domestic market. The attitudes of senior management. 2.8 International HR policy: In spite of the corporate business strategy unique to each company that they will drive the specifies of an international human resource policy, there are certain objectives that any effective IHR policy should aim to accomplish. And these objectives are: The policy should attract and motivate employees to accept international assignment. It should provide competitive pay plans to ensure the assignee can maintain his or her accustomed lifestyle. It should promote career succession planning and include guideline on repatriation and additional overseas assignment. It should facilitate relocation between home and host location. And finally, it should be cost-effective, understanding and easy to administer. To meet these objectives, we must have internal and external programs functioning to handle the following six areas. In addition to the required technical and business skills, key traits to consider include: cultural sensitivity, interpersonal skills, and flexibility. Document and formally communicate the assignee’s specific job requirements and associated pay in an assignment letter. Identify the compensation, benefits and tax approach that meets company objectives. Some common approaches to pay include: home balance sheet, destination-based, net-to-net, flexible. Assist the assignee with disposition or management of home and automobiles, shipment and storage of household goods, work permits and pre-assignment visits. Provide cultural orientation, language training, spousal support, education assistance, home leave, and emergency provisions. As the average cost of sending an expert on an overseas assignment is between three and five times the employee’s pre-departure salary, quantifying total costs for a global assignment is essential in the budgeting process. 2.9 Integrated HR systems to develop global leaders: Companies with global human resource information systems are likely to be far better positioned to succeed in the highly competitive international market. Multinational companies often discover that, especially in newly emerging markets, local management talent is rarely available to establish and build operations. Consequently, many companies conclude that the only way to start doing business in these markets is to relocate experienced managers from around the globe. Companies doing work in the international marketplace have discovered that providing pre-departure screening and orientation is essential to achieving the highest rates of success. A human resource information system might include data on the potential training needs and past technical and cross-cultural experiences. Having such data would enhance the probability not only of selecting the best candidates, but also chances for success on the assignment, as a result having a great impact on the future development of global leaders. Because most multinational companies now require international experience in order to move up the corporate hierarchy, tracking information related to international assignment can make a important contribution to management development. 2.10 Diversity in multinational companies: The rise of multinational companies and increased global diversification by even small companies has resulted in people of diverse background and cultures working together in the same office or for the same organization. Conflict in such situations is expected, but understanding the diversity issues can help to minimize the conflict and take benefits from diversity group of people brings to an organisations. To understanding how diversity is manage in multinational organizations, try to understand the concept of corporate culture, which defines organisational diversity programs and their use to minimize conflict among employees. Companies and countries can no longer operate as if the rest of the world did not exit. New trading blocs, based on regional, not national, interests have formed with the European Economic Community and the North America Free Trade Agreement. There will be increased pressure influenced by the country culture. For examples, some corporate cultures may encourage women and men gathering together socially after work while country culture would prohibit this. A female executive from the USA might well have difficulty adapting to the rituals of her own company in a foreign country, particularly when the country culture differs greatly from the American cultures. In the case of working mothers, it is usually the woman who is responsible for picking children up from childcare (Deal Kennedy, (1982, p. 80). 2.11 Understanding crosses cultural communication: Some cultures communicate most readily via written messages, while others prefer talking. To relate successfully, understand what communication is, how it works, and how to tailor it to the cultural context into which it will be received. When we â€Å"deliver† a message. We assume that we have â€Å"communicated†. But it is often the case that what has been said is not the same as what has been heard. Although the communication may feel in control, it is the receiver who determines whether communication takes place. The outcome of successful communication is agreement about meaning. This can be difficult to achieve in cross-cultural communication where some degree of misunderstanding is expected. In relationship-focused cultures, such as those in Asia, words only convey a small part of the message; the l

Marketing, Advertising, Style and Art Essay -- Marketing Advertising A

Marketing, Advertising, Style and Art: Life Should be Lived, Not Painted Man-made objects produced for acquisition depend on the ability to carry an image of style. The consumer is persuaded that ownership will enable them to inherit this style transforming their lives into perfect, happy reflections of the people featured in advertisements. These objects can be applied to any aspect of life as a fast answer to the question of style. The media promotes and reflects the current mainstream culture's standards for life style, class and importance of appearance. The media uses images of thin, beautiful women in well kept stylish homes and links these images to other symbols of prestige, happiness, love and success for women. Repeated exposure to this ideal via the various media can lead to the internalisation of this ideal. It also renders these images achievable and real. By targeting advertisements at set demographic groups, the choice of how to split responsibility for domestic chores is taken away. Instead we are presented with a list of acceptable social rules that are different for each gender. An example would be Fairy washing up liquid, in the advertisements we always see a mother doing dishes, with her child somewhere near by. This is communicating a message that washing up is a women’s work and worse still a feminine thing to do, as if to say a man who washes up risks losing part of his masculinity. When considered it seems ridiculous that we would let the media keep such sexist themes alive but the sad fact is that the majority are so conditioned to this train of thought, in order to preserve our gender identities, we must conform. Objects therefore not only posses the power to add style to our lives but to delegat... ...lives it is just a case of applying the same recipe. For instance look at a new sofa in a shop window now forget its advertising style and price, refuse to listen to the cocky sales person and think. Look at it for what it is, an object, with one use and one use only to sit on. Obsession with possessions is everyone’s burden the key is in realising we are all involved in a universal scam. Instead of accepting things as they are presented, take them out of context and produce a new meaning. Once this new meaning has been regarded something of the original meaning is lost forever and in this way we can liberate ourselves. Using these ideas as a tool to reject the regimes that the media present, to re-write the language of style. Many people have used an expression as a defining point of their admiration for Marcel Duchamp’s ideals â€Å"life should be lived, not painted†.

The Long-Suffering and Self-Pitying Odysseus Essay

What would it take to do Odysseus. the celebrated warrior and the pride of all Greece. call uncontrollably? Surely. he must be put through some kind of utmost physical hurting that no other person could last or possibly he is even forced to watch the awful slaughtering of his companions. But more frequently than non. it is merely mere words and memories. driven on by self-pity. non atrociousnesss committed against his crew. that make Odysseus call. Alternatively of moving as a compassionate leader who grieves for his lost friends. Odysseus calls to indulge his ain sense of sorrow at his jobs. and uses this to derive attending from others. By analyzing Odysseus’ eruptions of heartache. it becomes obvious that his selfishness and pride are at the very bosom of the obstructions he has faced on his journey place. Odysseus calls to fulfill his feelings of solitariness and desperation at being so hated by the Gods. When we foremost encounter Odysseus. he is sitting entirely on Calypso’s island. â€Å"weeping. his eyes ne'er dry. his sweet life fluxing off / with the cryings he wept for his defeated journey home† ( 5. 168-169 ) . At this point. Odysseus has been a captive on Calypso’s island for seven old ages. and has an intelligibly forlorn mentality sing his journey place. However. Odysseus spends every dark on the island moving as a lover to the beautiful goddess. whom he even admits is far more lovely and alluring than the married woman he yearns to return to. Though he pines for Penelope. his Acts of the Apostless of changeless unfaithfulness show that his guilt is non plagued by his actions. He is described as being an â€Å"unwilling lover† ( 5. 172 ) . but there is no grounds to propose that Odysseus feels he is perpetrating a offense against his married woman. Alternatively. Odysseus is described as being â€Å"no longer pleased† ( 5. 170 ) by Calypso. which suggests that at one point Odysseus may hold been really satisfied with his state of affairs. until he became homesick once more. It is an admirable trait that Odysseus so longs to travel place. but his self- commiseration twenty-four hours in and twenty-four hours out is anything but admirable. He seems to be holding his bar and eating it excessively. After seven old ages. he is still wallowing in unhappiness. unable to see that his destiny of being alive and good ( and seduced every night ) is still a much more favourable result than what his crew encountered. His selfishness merely lets him see â€Å"how long I have suffered! † ( 7. 181 ) . Odysseus besides uses his cryings to pull strings others into sympathising with him. When Odysseus eventually gets off Calypso’s island. he is beset by still more jobs. He finally finds shelter with Alcinous. the male monarch of Phaeacia. As is the usage. he is the receiver of great cordial reception and is made to experience at place. even though his hosts have no thought who he is. However. one dark after banqueting. the bard Demodocus sings about the struggle between Odysseus and Achilles during the Trojan War. At this point. Odysseus becomes so overwrought and overcome with emotion that he â€Å"hid his face and wept† ( 8. 109 ) . The text besides says that he is â€Å"ashamed his hosts might see him casting tears† ( 8. 103 ) . but why is he shouting in the first topographic point? The bard is non even singing about all that Odysseus has suffered. and is merely mentioning to his statement with Achilles. which was a prophesied triumph mark. It is really possible that Odysseus is shouting because he wants to be found out. These people evidently adore the Odysseus they know through narratives. so wouldn’t they worship the flesh and blood version if they were of all time to run into him? Alternatively of merely stating. â€Å"I am Odysseus† . he alternatively waits. calls a 2nd clip until his heartache is publically noticed. leting people to experience regretful for him and inquire what would do him so much hurting. This gives Odysseus the perfect chance to state the atrocious narrative of his trip place. which he does. full of the problems that could hold been avoided had Odysseus restrained his pride and selfishness. The shame that Odysseus might experience at openly shouting in forepart of aliens is outweighed by the satisfaction he gets out of stating his narrative. because wretchedness does so love company. Odysseus’s pride besides prevents him from demoing regard towards his work forces. by non minding their advice and by non decently mourning their ill-timed deceases. At Alcinous’ tribunal. Odysseus recounts his experience with the Cyclops. The whole problem with this one eyed monster begins when Odysseus decides to linger in the Cyclops’s cave after eating his nutrient. to see â€Å"what gifts he would give† ( 9. 258 ) . Alternatively of welcoming the Achaeans. the monster decides to eat the work forces who had impolitely eaten his nutrient. In sudden daze and horror. Odysseus and his work forces â€Å"wept and cried aloud† ( 9. 331 ) . Finally. through a clever program by Odysseus. he and his work forces escape. but about decease once more because of his pride. Teasing back to the Cyclops. Odysseus reveals who he is. which allows the monster to about fall in their ships. and besides to publish a ailment to Poseidon that he should non allow Odysseus return place. Poseidon hears this. and as a consequence. Odysseus and his crew are from so on beset by job after job. Had Odysseus listened to his crew who begged him to go forth the cave before the Cyclops returned and besides to non boast his individuality to the monster. the work forces would hold made it safely place. Even after witnessing the cannibalism of some of his crew. Odysseus is merely â€Å"glad to get away our decease / yet sick at bosom for the companions we had lost† ( 9. 630 ) . He does non look to be excessively devastated by everything that has merely happened to him. expletive and all. Possibly it is because he is surrounded by others who portion the same destiny. and aren’t as willing to be every bit sympathetic as a group of aliens hearing the narrative from a legendary hero would be. Odysseus besides tells the narrative of the Laestrygonians. who eat a high figure of Odysseus’ crew. Once once more. Odysseus is â€Å"sick at heart† ( 10. 147 ) . but feels small else for his dead friends and does non cry at all for their memory. When his crew begins to mourn for those lost. Odysseus about seems fed up and says â€Å"They explosion into calls. howling. streaming unrecorded cryings / that gained us nil – what good can come of heartache? † ( 10. 221 ) . At this point it becomes really obvious that Odysseus merely deems it necessary to shout. when he is the one being wept for. He has no job shouting in forepart of aliens who are unwittingly praising him. he sees nil incorrect with shouting mundane for seven old ages because he is marooned with a beautiful goddess. yet there is something uneconomical about crying for work forces who were viciously killed and eaten. all because he felt the demand to state the Cyclops that he. the great Odysseu s. was the 1 who blinded him. While pride may hold been the ruin of Odysseus. without it he would ne'er hold reached the position of a hero. His pride and desire for glorification were a major drive force behind all his great schemes and war attempts. Without his strong self-esteem. Odysseus would hold alternatively been merely another expendable member of his crew. Yes. the selfishness of the crew is besides evident when they open the bag of air currents and blow the ship off class. but actions like these are to be expected from work forces who are of such low importance in the heroic poem that they are non even named. But from Odysseus. the reader should demand a higher degree of criterions. and expect him to move responsible for the work forces whose lives are entrusted into his attention. When Odysseus does non shout after his work forces are slaughtered and alternatively goes on with his work. it appears that he is merely moving as a strong leader. But when you consider other minutes when he is really weak a nd does shout openly. it is apparent to see that he merely weeps for those deserving crying for. And to Odysseus. the lone one worth casting a tear for is himself. Thesis: Alternatively of moving as a compassionate leader who grieves for his lost friends. Odysseus calls to indulge his ain sense of sorrow at his jobs. and uses this to derive attending from others. By analyzing Odysseus’ eruptions of heartache. it becomes obvious that his selfishness and pride are at the very bosom of the obstructions he has faced on his journey place. Subordinate Ideas: 1. Cries out of ego commiseration and solitariness 2. Cries to pull strings others 3. Does non esteem shipmates a. Does non listen to their advice and suffers the effects B. Does non decently mourn them when they die partially because of his actions 4. Pride and selfishness allow Odysseus to go a hero

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 12

â€Å"I can't believe you keep coming back,† Dante told me when I showed up at his shop the next day. To no one's surprise, the place was empty. â€Å"Me either,† I admitted. I never felt welcome here, yet I didn't feel I had anywhere else to go. â€Å"How do you stay in business?† â€Å"Beats me. I don't suppose you're here to give me the best night of my life? You missed your El Gaucho chance, though.† â€Å"I'm here because I had another dream.† â€Å"You're using me, succubus.† He sighed and sat down at the chintzy table. â€Å"Okay. Give it to me.† Settling down across from him, I recapped the latest dream events. â€Å"Not really much in the way of new developments,† he pointed out afterward. â€Å"You got, like, thirty more seconds of plot.† â€Å"Does it mean anything?† â€Å"Hell if I know.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You are the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"Nah.† He rested his chin in his hand, elbow propped on the table. His expression was typically lazy. â€Å"I'm a very good interpreter. There's nothing to interpret in your dream, though, unless it's just your subconscious lamenting your infertility. Which is likely. It also suggests you have bad taste in music. Is ‘Sweet Home Alabama' really playing each time?† Now I sighed. â€Å"The dreams clearly aren't prophetic either since we know it's impossible for you to have a kid.† He drummed his fingers on the table, face thoughtful. â€Å"You sure you might not adopt or something?† â€Å"She was mine,† I said firmly. â€Å"My own flesh and blood. I could feel it.† â€Å"Okay. Far be it from me to argue delusional maternal instincts. But like I said, it doesn't really matter. The content, I mean. What matters here, I guess, is the energy loss.† I could have hugged him. â€Å"Finally, someone fucking thinks that's important.† â€Å"It's a pattern now. Can't really blame it on anomaly anymore.† â€Å"So what's it mean?† â€Å"You sure you want the opinion of the worst dream interpreter ever?† â€Å"Good grief! Get on with it.† â€Å"If you were human, I'd say without a doubt that you were being preyed on.† I flinched. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† He reached across the table and caught my hand, flipping it over absentmindedly while he thought. I was too caught on the word preyed to care about him touching me. Little Kayla's words popped into my head. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams. â€Å"You and I both know there are plenty of supernatural beings walking the world. Some walk the dreamworld and don't really have humans' best intentions at heart. Not that you do either. And honestly, some aren't too different from you. They crave human life and energy, and they can suck it out of dreams.† â€Å"But they can't do that to me?† â€Å"Mmm.† He let go of my hand. â€Å"I don't see how. You don't make your own energy. You steal it too. But who knows?† I shivered. The idea of some creature – some parasitic creature – latching on and sucking out my life made me ill. I was fully aware of the hypocrisy, however, seeing as I did the exact same thing all the time. â€Å"So†¦what kind of creature might be capable of doing that?† â€Å"Dunno. Not my specialty.† â€Å"But you're a dream expert! Shouldn't you know about dream†¦creatures?† â€Å"Supernatural creatures are Erik's thing, not mine. You should ask him.† â€Å"You're the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"So I hear.† His earlier seriousness flitted away. â€Å"So†¦are we going to have sex now?† I stood up. â€Å"No! Of course not.† Dante threw his hands up. â€Å"What more do you want? I actually gave you useful information this time. And it's not like you couldn't use the fix – small or no.† â€Å"It's more than that,† I said. Suddenly, I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦I know you now.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"If you were some anonymous guy, there might be a chance. But now you're like a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Friend wasn't quite the word I was looking for. â€Å"†¦an acquaintance.† He appeared genuinely baffled for once. It was almost amusing. â€Å"I'm really not following this, succubus.† â€Å"I've got a boyfriend, remember? When I have anonymous, casual sex, it's not really cheating. But if I do it with someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦you like?† Was it my imagination, or was there something hopeful in his eyes when he asked that? â€Å"No, I don't think I like you. But I don't exactly dislike you either. The point is, you aren't anonymous. It would be cheating.† He stared at me for several moments, and whatever glimmer of hope I thought I'd seen was definitely gone. â€Å"No wonder succubi are so good at passing as human women. You've certainly got the head games and complete lack of rationality down.† â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"You always have to go. Where to now? Some anonymous guy?† I rose. â€Å"No, I'm going to find Erik and see if he can actually give me useful information.† â€Å"I did give you useful information!† â€Å"Debatable.† â€Å"Well, let me lock up, and we'll see what Lancaster has to say.† I froze. â€Å"What do you mean ‘we'?† Dante grabbed some keys from behind the counter. â€Å"You've piqued my curiosity. I want to see how this turns out. Besides, you owe me for my help, seeing as you won't put out.† â€Å"‘Help,' indeed,† I muttered. He walked to the door with me. â€Å"Did it ever occur to you that in spite of how unuseful you think I am, I'm still kind of concerned about what happens to you?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It actually hadn't.† But I let him go with me over to Arcana, Ltd. When we stepped inside, we found Erik unpacking a box of books. He smiled without looking up, having sensed me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid, always a – † He stopped when he noticed Dante. For the first time in our friendship, I saw Erik look angry. It was disturbing. Frightening, even. â€Å"Mr. Moriarty.† Dante nodded his greeting. â€Å"Always nice to see you.† The expression on Erik's face showed the feelings weren't mutual. He straightened up from his work and walked over to the counter. Crossing his arms over his chest, he peered at both of us. â€Å"What can I do for you?† No cordial host or tea chats today. The air between the two men suddenly felt thick and oppressive. I spoke uncertainly. â€Å"We†¦that is, Dante thinks he has an answer to my dream problems.† Dante laughed, wearing his trademark smirk. If he bore Erik the same animosity, he was hiding it well. â€Å"I wouldn't call it an answer, succubus. More like a theory.† â€Å"I've had the dream again,† I told Erik. â€Å"More than once now. And I still keep losing my energy. Dante says it could be some kind of†¦dream creature preying on me.† I stumbled over the words. The concept was still too ludicrous. â€Å"But he didn't know what kind. He said you might know.† Erik shifted his eyes from Dante to me. I could tell the old man was still unhappy about us being there together, but he cared about me too much and couldn't stop himself from helping me. I wondered at what point over the years I had earned such regard. And how. He sighed and gestured us to the table. We all sat down, but no tea was offered. â€Å"Something like that going after a succubus is hard to imagine,† Erik said at last. â€Å"That's what I thought,† said Dante. His lighthearted mask had slipped a little. He looked much as he had in the store, thoughtful and curious. He reminded me of a mechanical engineer I'd once known. The guy couldn't help himself when it came to fixing some technical problem. Give him something in pieces, and he had to analyze it and figure it out. Dante might give me a hard time, but his nature, corrupt or not, couldn't stay away from this. Erik's eyes studied me, hard and intent. I was an intriguing puzzle for him too. â€Å"If I had to pick†¦I'd say the symptoms most match Oneroi.† I'd heard of them. They'd been in the Greek myths I'd grown up with. â€Å"Dream spirits?† Dante considered. â€Å"More than spirits. They're the children of Nyx and Erebus.† I shuddered. I'd heard of them too. Nyx and Erebus. Night and Darkness. Primordial entities of chaos. They were powerful and dangerous. The world had been born of chaos, true, but it was also a fact – even science agreed – that the universe was always trying to move back toward chaos. Nyx and Erebus were destructive – so much so that they were now locked away, lest they tear the world apart. The possibility that their children could be sucking away my life made me feel sick again. Dante was still turning this theory over in his head. â€Å"Yeah, that'd be the closest. But they still don't match one hundred percent.† â€Å"Nothing does,† admitted Erik. â€Å"I've never heard of anything attacking a succubus.† â€Å"What do Oneroi do exactly?† I asked. The two men exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to explain. Erik was the one who stepped up. â€Å"They visit mortals in their dreams and feed off the emotions such dreams stir up. Victims of Oneroi wake up drained and sick.† More irony. Legend said that succubi visited men in their dreams too and took their life. â€Å"That's what's happening to me,† I argued. â€Å"Why couldn't it be them?† â€Å"It could be them,† agreed Dante, â€Å"but like we said, the details don't fit. Oneroi can seize control and shape what you dream. But the dreams they stir up are usually nightmares. Fear and other dark emotions tend to be more intense – they offer more for the Oneroi to feed off of. Your dreams are short, and they're†¦fluffy.† â€Å"Fluffy?† â€Å"Well, I don't know. Not nightmares. They're intriguing to you. They bring out emotions – fascinated, happy emotions. They're giving you visceral reactions, I suppose, but not the type that the Oneroi usually go after.† â€Å"And,† continued Erik, â€Å"there's also the fact that you aren't an ideal choice for them. You're inefficient. You're a conduit, a link to the mortal world and their energy. If Oneroi are stealing from you, they have to wait for you to get your power from someone else first. Far simpler for them to take directly from a human.† I suddenly realized I'd forgotten something. â€Å"One other weird thing happened†¦more than the energy loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained about waking up feeling cold and wet. â€Å"I guess that's kind of weird,† said Dante, â€Å"but I don't know that it's really related to this.† â€Å"Well, except later that day, I read this article about a guy who went crazy and tried to swim across the Sound. He thought it would help his family – and it did because he drowned and they got his insurance money. When I read the article, the wet and cold feeling came back. It was like†¦for a second, I was him. I felt exactly what he'd felt. Like I was drowning too.† â€Å"Empathy,† said Dante. â€Å"You read it and imagined what it must be like.† â€Å"No.† I frowned, trying to bring the feeling back. â€Å"I†¦I felt him. I knew it was him I was feeling. That guy. The same way I knew the girl was my daughter. It was in my gut.† Dante looked annoyed. â€Å"Would have been helpful to know this earlier.† â€Å"I forgot. I didn't really see it as relevant until now.† â€Å"Have you ever had anything like this happen before? Knowledge of something you didn't experience?† â€Å"I don't think so.† Erik glanced at Dante. â€Å"Clairvoyance?† â€Å"I don't know. Unlikely. Too many variables. None of them mesh.† Dante turned his gaze back on me. â€Å"Have you talked to your own people about this?† I shook my head. â€Å"Jerome's been gone. I mentioned the first dream before he left, but he didn't seem very concerned.† â€Å"Well, I don't know what to make of it,† Dante said. â€Å"Nor I,† said Erik kindly. â€Å"But I will look into this for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I told him. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† We stood up, and like that, the momentary truce between Erik and Dante vanished. Erik looked stormy once more. Dante appeared smug and condescending. â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† Erik began stiffly. â€Å"You know I have nothing but the highest regard for you, and I am more than happy to assist you in any way you need. I also recognize that Mr. Moriarty can also offer you help. But I would prefer it if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦if you don't bring me around anymore,† finished Dante. He saluted. â€Å"Noted, old man. Meet you at the car, succubus.† He turned and walked out of the shop. Erik's mood didn't vanish with Dante's departure. I could still sense the fury radiating from him. Erik had said Dante was corrupt, but really, so was I. Erik didn't have this kind of reaction around me. There was something I was missing here. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Erik. â€Å"I didn't know it would bother you so much.† â€Å"You couldn't have known,† he replied wearily. â€Å"And after all, I was the one who directed you to him.† â€Å"I'll keep him away,† I promised. I thanked him again and went out to meet Dante. He leaned against my car, his thoughts obscured by a lazy smile. â€Å"Why does Erik hate you so much?† I asked. Dante glanced down at me. â€Å"Because I'm a bad man who does bad things.† â€Å"There's more to it than that,† I said. â€Å"And you don't seem that bad. The worst things you've done are trick customers and offer useless information. Although†¦well, you actually were pretty helpful just now. But like I said, I don't think you're as bad as your reputation implies.† â€Å"How would you know?† I shrugged. â€Å"Instinct.† In one swift motion, Dante snaked his hand behind my neck and pulled me to him. I put a hand on his chest and started to push him away and then stopped. There was a warmth in his body, the eagerness of a man who'd been deprived of something for a very long time. To my surprise, I felt arousal burning in me – a yearning of my own to touch someone who wasn't all business. I experienced that feeling a lot, and it usually got me into trouble. My succubus nature woke up, wondering if energy might be on its way. And despite my lofty talk earlier about not sleeping with people I was acquainted with, I suddenly wanted him to kiss me. I wanted his energy – just a taste. His mouth moved toward mine. I started to close my eyes and part my lips – then, abruptly, he stiffened. Releasing me, he stepped back. I opened my eyes, staring in astonishment. â€Å"What the hell?† I asked. â€Å"You backed off. And after all the grief you've given me about sleeping with you.† â€Å"You're drained and hungry, succubus,† he said. â€Å"It'd be like taking advantage of a drunk girl.† â€Å"Right. And you've never done anything like that.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm not eighteen anymore.† He opened the car door. â€Å"Are we going or not?† I studied him a bit longer, thinking again I saw that hope and compassion from earlier. I was starting to wonder if a lot of his cattiness was just bravado, hiding the same insecurities everyone in the world had. I kept my psychoanalysis to myself, however, and joined him in the car. We drove back to his shop, our usual flippant banter obscuring anything serious that might have happened.

Ethical Hacking Essay Sample

Ethical Hacking Essay Sample Ethical Hacking Essay Today, one of the most sought after individuals and/or companies are those who employ ethical hackers. Although the term â€Å"hacking† might seem vague and distrustful for most individuals because of how hackers are portrayed in mass media such as unlawful and people who are hunted by the government. Nevertheless, there are plenty of times when hacking is useful and productive. In some cases, hacking can be used to fix systems and software, and more importantly to prevent future probabilities of these systems being hacked themselves. This useful application of hacking is called ethical hacking. Ethical hacking simply means attempting to hack one’s system, network, or software in order to identify the threats to it and mitigate it in the future. In other words, ethical hackers are the â€Å"preventers† for hackers such as black hats, who are generally regarded as cyber criminals for trying to infiltrate security systems simply for their own gain. Another term for these ethical hackers are â€Å"white hats† and most industries today, ranging from digital companies, security providers, and especially banks have hired them. Because of the demand for these ethical hackers more and more people today are engaging and trying to learn to hack, both inside and outside educational systems. For one, this is important since it is believed that the technologies today and the abilities of the companies which create them, are just in their inception and thus more and more companies would need the help of these ethical hackers in the future. In other words, an increase in the jobs available even in the comforts of their own homes and just as any online jobs, could mean the decongestion of our cities. However, not all people are thrilled with the continuous increase of white hats in the society. For them, since white hats are just humans and are equipped with the knowledge that black hats have, then more black hats could also come from this population. Adding to the fact that these white hats are usually allowed more freedom with the use of such technologies, these increases the worrying of these people. Following from the statements above, it is apparent that the number of white hats is continuously increasing. Therefore, in response to this situation and the potential risks that it carries in the future, I believe that it is necessary that more rules and regulations must be established in order to prevent any thing detrimental that might happen not only for these technologies but also for the people who use them. One of the most prominent tech savvy and entrepreneur in the world, Elon Musk, has already warned us about the dangers of AI. He said in an interview that â€Å"the machines will win†. In line with this, I believe that hacking (both ethical and unethical) is one of the things that would determine the fate of the world as AI technology continues to grow. For one, black hats might start the use of â€Å"destructive AIs† which could pose potential dangers for the existence of human life in this planet. On the other hand, White hats could then serve as the savior s if and when such a time comes. Countering the decisions that AIs could make regarding how the world should run, especially when taking the human factor is a part of its equation. In conclusion, what this means is that hacking could be productive and essential for the advancement of technology in the world especially in this ever growing environment. However, as this trade grows, additional rules and regulations must be placed in order to keep hacking more helpful than destructive.

The Domestication of Horses

The Domestication of Horses Domestication is the process by which humans take wild species and acclimatize them to breeding and surviving in captivity. In many cases, domesticated animals serve some purpose for humans (food source, labor, companionship). The process of domestication results in physiological and genetic changes in the organisms over generations. Domestication differs from taming in that tamed animals are born in the wild while domesticated animals are bred in captivity. When Where Were Horses Domesticated? The history of horses in human culture can be traced back as far as 30,000 BC when horses were depicted in Paleolithic cave paintings. The horses in the paintings resembled wild animals and it is thought that true domestication of horses did not occur for tens of thousands of years to come. It is thought that the horses depicted in the Paleolithic cave paintings were hunted for their meat by humans. There are several theories as to when and where domestication of the horse occurred. Some theories estimate that domestication occurred at about 2000 BC while other theories place domestication as early as 4500 BC. Evidence from mitochondrial DNA studies suggests that the domestication of horses occurred in multiple locations and at various times. It is generally thought that Central Asia is among the sites that domestication occurred, with sites in Ukraine and Kazakhstan providing archeological evidence. What Role Did the First Domesticated Horses Play? Throughout history, horses have been used for riding and for pulling carriages, chariots, plows, and carts. They played a significant role in warfare by carrying soldiers into battle. Because the first domesticated horses are thought to have been quite small, it is more likely that they were used to pull carts than for riding.

The Role of Reading Fluency Tables in Comprehension

The Role of Reading Fluency Tables in Comprehension Listening to a student read, even for a minute, can be one of the ways a teacher determines a students ability to comprehend text through fluency. Improving reading fluency has been identified by the National Reading Panel as one of the five critical components of reading. A student’s oral reading fluency score is measured by the number of words in a  text that a student reads correctly in a minute. Measuring a students fluency is easy. The teacher listens to a student read independently for one minute in order to hear how well a  student reads accurately, quickly, and with expression (prosody). When a student can read aloud with these three qualities, the student is demonstrating to the listener a level of fluency, that there is a bridge or connection between his or her ability to recognize words and the ability  to comprehend  the text: â€Å"Fluency is defined as reasonably accurate reading with suitable expression that leads to accurate and deep comprehension and motivation to read† (Hasbrouck and Glaser, 2012). In other words, a student who is a fluent reader  can focus on what the text means because he or she does not have to concentrate on decoding the words. A fluent reader can monitor and adjust his or her reading and notice when comprehension breaks down.   Fluency Testing A fluency test is simple to administer. All you need is a selection of text and a stopwatch.   An initial test for fluency is a screening where passages are selected from a text at the students grade level that the student has not pre-read, called a cold read.  If the student is not reading at grade level, then the instructor should select passages at a lower level in order to diagnose weaknesses.   The student is asked to read aloud for one minute. As the student reads, the teacher notes errors in reading. A student’s fluency level can be calculated following these three steps: The instructor determines how many words the reader actually attempted during the 1-minute reading sample. Total # of words read ____.Next, the instructor counts up the number of errors made by the reader. Total # of errors ___.The instructor deducts the number of errors from the total words attempted, the examiner arrives at the number of correctly read words per minute (WCPM). Fluency formula: Total # of words read __- (subtract) errors______words (WCPM) read correctly For example, if the student read 52 words and had 8 errors in one minute, the student had 44 WCPM. By deducting the errors (8) from total words attempted (52), the score for the student would be 44 correct words in one minute. This 44 WCPM number serves as an estimate of reading fluency, combining the students speed and accuracy in reading. All educators should be aware that an oral reading fluency score is not the same measure as a student’s reading level. To determine what that fluency score means in relation to grade level, teachers should use a grade level fluency score chart. Fluency data charts   There are a number of reading fluency charts such as the one developed from the research of Albert Josiah Harris and Edward R. Sipay  (1990) which set fluency rates that were organized by grade level bands with words per minute scores. For example, the table shows the recommendations for fluency bands for three different grade levels: grade 1, grade 5, and grade 8.   Harris and Sipay Fluency Chart Grade Words per minute Band Grade 1 60-90 WPM Grade 5 170-195 WPM Grade 8 235-270 WPM Harris and  Sipays  research guided them to make recommendations in their book  How to Increase Reading Ability: A Guide to Developmental Remedial Methods  as to the general speed for reading a text  such as a book from the  Magic Tree House Series  (Osborne). For example, a book from this series is leveled at M (grade 3) with 6000 words.   A student who could read 100 WCPM fluently could finish  A Magic Tree House  book in one hour while a student who could read at 200 WCPM fluently could complete reading the book in 30 minutes. The fluency chart most referenced today was developed by researchers Jan Hasbrouck and Gerald Tindal in 2006. They wrote about their findings in the International Reading Association Journal in the article â€Å"Oral Reading Fluency Norms: A Valuable Assessment Tool for Reading Teachers.† The major point in their article was on the connection between fluency and comprehension: â€Å"Fluency measures such as words correct per minute has been shown, in both theoretical and empirical research, to serve as an accurate and powerful indicator of overall reading competence, especially in its strong correlation with comprehension. In coming to this conclusion, Hasbrouck and Tindal completed an extensive study of oral reading fluency using data obtained from over 3,500 students in 15 schools in seven cities located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York.† According to Hasbrouck and Tindal, the review of student data  allowed them to organize the results in average performance and percentile bands for fall, winter, and spring for grades 1 through grade 8. The scores on the chart are considered  normative  data scores because of the large sampling.   The results of their study were published in a technical report entitled, â€Å"Oral Reading Fluency: 90 Years of Measurement,† which is available on the  website for Behavioral Research and Teaching, University of Oregon. Contained in this study are their grade level fluency score tables  designed  to help instructors to assess the oral reading fluency of their students relative to their peers. How to read a fluency table Only three-grade level data selections from their research are in a table below. The table below shows fluency scores for grade 1 when students are first tested on fluency, for grade 5 as a midpoint fluency measure, and for grade 8 after students have been practicing fluency for years. Grade Percentile Fall WCPM* Winter WCPM* Spring WCPM* Avg Weekly Improvement* First 90 - 81 111 1.9 First 50 - 23 53 1.9 First 10 - 6 15 .6 Fifth 90 110 127 139 0.9 Fifth 50 110 127 139 0.9 Fifth 10 61 74 83 0.7 Eighth 90 185 199 199 0.4 Eighth 50 133 151 151 0.6 Eighth 10 77 97 97 0.6 *WCPMwords correct per minute The first column of the table shows the grade level. The second column of the table shows the percentile.  Teachers should remember that in fluency testing, percentile is different from  percentage. The percentile on this table is a measurement is based on a grade level peer group of 100 students. Therefore, a 90th percentile does not mean the student answered 90% of the questions correctly; a fluency score is not like a grade. Instead, a 90th percentile  score for a student means that there are nine (9) grade level peers who have performed better.   Another way to look at the rating is to understand that a student who is in the 90th percentile performs better than 89th percentile of his grade level peers or that the student is in the top 10% of his peer group. Similarly, a student in the 50th percentile means the student performs better than 50 of his or her peers with 49% of his or her peers performing higher, while a student performing at the low 10th percentile for fluency has still performed better than 9 of his or her grade level peers. An average fluency score is between 25th percentile to 75th percentile Therefore, a student with a   fluency score of 50th percentile is perfectly average, squarely in the middle of the average band. The third, fourth, and fifth columns on the chart indicate into which percentile a students score is rated at different times of the school year. These scores are based on normative data. The last column, average weekly improvement, shows the average words per week growth that student should  develop to stay on grade level. The average weekly improvement can be calculated by subtracting the fall score from the spring score and dividing the difference by 32 or the number of weeks between the fall and spring assessments. In grade 1, there is no fall assessment, and so the average weekly improvement is calculated by subtracting the winter score from the spring score and then dividing the difference by 16 which is the number of weeks between the winter and spring assessments. Using the fluency data   Hasbrouck and Tindal   recommended that: â€Å"Students scoring 10 or more words below the 50th percentile using the average score of two unpracticed readings from grade-level materials need a fluency-building program. Teachers can also use the table to set long-term fluency goals for struggling readers.† For example, a beginning fifth grade student with a reading rate of 145 WCPM should be assessed using fifth grade level texts. However, a beginning grade 5 student with a reading rate of 55 WCPM will need to be assessed with materials from grade 3 in order to determine what additional instructional support would be needed to increase his or her reading rate. Instructors should use progress monitoring with any student who may be reading six to 12 months below grade level every two to three weeks to determine if additional instruction is needed. For students who are reading more than one year below grade level, this kind of progress monitoring should be done frequently. If the student is receiving intervention services through special education or English Learner support, continued monitoring will provide the teacher the information on whether the intervention is working or not.   Practicing fluency For progress monitoring on fluency, passages are selected at a students individually determined goal level. For example, if the instructional level of a 7th grade student is at the 3rd grade level, the teacher may conduct the progress monitoring assessments by using passages at the 4th grade level. To provide students the opportunity to practice, fluency instruction should be with a text that a student can read at an independent level.   Independent reading level is one of three reading levels described below: Independent level is relatively easy for the student to read with 95% word accuracy.Instructional level is challenging but manageable for the reader with 90% word accuracy.Frustration level means the text is too difficult for the student to read which results in less than 90% word accuracy. Students will better practice on speed and expression by reading at an independent level text. Instructional or frustration level texts will require students to decode. Reading comprehension is the combination of numerous skills that are performed instantaneously, and fluency is one of these skills. While practicing fluency requires time, a test for a students fluency takes only one minute and perhaps two minutes to read a fluency table and to record the results. These few minutes with a fluency table can be one of the best tools a teacher can use to monitor how well a student understands what he or she is reading.

Hospitality service and facilities management Essay - 2

Hospitality service and facilities management - Essay Example Productivity is usually interlinked with the industries which involve extensive purchases so it is really significant to manage the productivity. In simple terms, productivity can be taken as a ratio between the input and the output of the industry at a particular level or in some particular field. It can be measured in different ways like shift wise productivity in some cases or by means of different departments or in terms of capital assessment. Productivity management is quite a troublesome job which can prove to be a complex assignment for the administration of hospitality organization like hotels. This task can become even more complex if major proportion of the staff is working in the organization for part time. According to different studies, one of the dilemmas in this industry is the allocation of different shifts to different groups of staff working in there but this problem has been solved quite efficiently by the latest technologies like using computer based scheduling of the shifts or using software specifically designed for this propose. One other problem in this industry is non availability of certified professionals at all the levels in this industry and one of the main reasons for this is the non attractive pay structure in this field offered by the owners of the major hotels and restaurants. So this is one of the major issues which is faced by the human resource (HR) department of the hotels and it results in decreased performance of the employees due to increase work load on them. This problem is reduced to some extent by the recent increase in the salary and by giving other complimentary packages to the specialized staff of this industry. As all other fields are affected badly by the terrorist activities all around the world so is the hospitality industry, according to different scholars, initially there

Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 Essay

Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 - Essay Example 9). Management is, on the other hand, the process by which organizational goals are achieved. Therefore, the task of accomplishing the achievement of the organizational goals is the assignment of a manager. Fundamentally, important functions that managers employ in this pursuit have been universally identified. They include planning along with budgeting, organizing and staffing, problem-solving and controlling. A necessary disambiguation process will be covered in this paper in the subsequent illustrations provided to contrast the roles played by a leader distinct from those of a manager. In addition, the paper will elaborate on the interrelatedness of the two personnel’s roles in a smooth flowing of an organization. An elaborately well-balanced organization has been observed to be one which has a mix of leaders and managers in the organization’s pursuit of success. Important to note, equilibrium is ideally set when few great leaders influence relatively many first-class managers in the process. Leaders play a significant part in setting a direction, aligning people, inspiring and motivating them. The leader gives the employees (including managers) of a firm a sense of direction, aligns and elicits inspiration and motivation (Crossan, Gandz, Seijts, Stephenson, & Richard Ivey School of Business, 2010, p. 17). By so doing, the managers can take the managerial roles assigned to them with a sense of inspiration, direction, and more importantly motivation to do so. This influence, as passed on by a leader, can be contagious such that the behavior the managers exhibit is characteristically that of the leader. Consequently, managers can develop to become leaders who play a paramount role in the setting of an excellent working environment for their workers. The working together of a manager and a leader can be symbolically represented. For instance, a leader can be perceived as the symbol of passion, creativity and most importantly the

Economic Order Quantity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Order Quantity - Assignment Example The result of such specificity is that there is a smooth re-stocking process that enhances customer service as stock-outs are minimized. The EOQ model involves the use of mathematical calculations which may at times be complicated for small business owners that may lack in math skills. It also requires data that has sufficient detail. The basis of the model is the assumption that the pattern of demand would be constant throughout the year and inventory usage is at a fixed rate. It fails to account for fluctuations. The assumption that costs remain constant is also faulty as the costs vary depending on the economic situation. It also limits how a business can take advantage of discounts that suppliers offer on quantity purchases. That is because it offers the ordering of similar amounts every time. Finkler, S. A., Purtell, R.M., Calabrese, T.D., & Smith, D.L. (2013). Financial management for public, health, and not-for-profit organizations (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice

Finance and Accounting Individual Assignment Essay

Finance and Accounting Individual Assignment - Essay Example It was later reorganized in 2001 to become the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). In 1973 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) was also born. The accounting standards that the FASB helps formulate for accountants in the United States are the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Over 100 countries around the world are currently using the international financial reporting standards (IFRS) created by the IASB. The amount of countries that have adopted the IFRS has drastically increase in the 21st century since prior to 2002 only eight countries were using IFRS (Fasb, 2011). In the 1990s the concept of accounting convergence began to raise interest among the business community which caught the attention of FASB and IASC. In 1994 the FASB and IASC undertook their first standard setting project together. The purpose of the project was to improve the earnings per share (EPS) standards to eliminate any differences in the calculation of the metric between the two standard setting bodies. The following year both standard setting bodies collaborated in another project whose purpose was to compare the U.S. GAAP and the IASC standards. Once the IASC was converted into the IASB in 2001 the pace of convergence accelerated a lot. One of the major events that helped the IASB gain credibility worldwide was the adoption of the European Union of IFRS. A project that was signed in 2002 in which the FASB and IASB agreed to improve convergence between U.S. GAAP and IFRS was the Norwalk Agreement. â€Å"The Norwalk Agreement set out the shared goal of developing compatible, high-quality accounting standards that could be used for both domestic and cross-border financial reporting† (Fasb, 2011). In 2006 the FASB and IASB issues a Memorandum of Understanding that created a two year deadline to achieve greater progress in the convergence project by 2008. In 2007 the Securities and Exchange Commission released a concept released that allowed com panies the optional use of IFRS by U.S issuers in the financial statements filed by companies for the SEC. Another sign of progress in the convergence project was the creation in 2007 of a converged standard by the FASB and IASB for business combinations. In 2008 the SEC issued a proposed roadmap to adoption of IFRS in the United States and a proposed rule on optional early use of IFRS. The latest update on the convergence project was issued on April 21, 2011 in a document called Progress Report on IASB-FASB Convergence Work (Fasb, 2011). The MSA program is a great opportunity for me to develop my skills and abilities in the accounting profession. In the competitive work environment of the 21st century gaining a graduate education can give me a competitive advantage over other candidates. In the United States only about 6.8% of the population has a master’s degree (Info, 2005). The five courses accounting courses in the UOP MSA curriculum look like outstanding courses that wi ll help me gain more specialized knowledge in accounting. I am looking very forward to taking the forensic accounting course. â€Å"Forensic accounting is a specialty requiring the integration of investigative, accounting, and auditing skills† (Answers, 2011). Forensic accounting can be used by corporations to solve legal problems. Once I complete this program the doors of opportunity are going to open for me. Accounting is one of the hottest professional fields. Due to the complexity

Critical Thinking for Managers Questions Assignment

Critical Thinking for Managers Questions - Assignment Example 2. Peyton Manning makes millions of dollars a year for throwing a football. Why does he make so much more than teachers who educate our children? Why does he make more than doctors who could save your life? In a capitalist world, the demand and demand for a product dictates its price. In this case, it is evident that the demand for entertainment by consumers from people extraordinary skills like Peyton Manning is high while the supply is short. Hence, Peyton Manning and other athletes who provide entertainment with extraordinary skills earn more than teachers and doctors whose skills are not as extraordinary as athletes’ skills. Milk is strategically placed at the back of a convenient store by virtue of the product being a necessity item whose consumption is high. Hence, placing milk at the front in a convenient store cannot tempt consumers to buy other products since they will only pick the necessities and leave the convenient store without spending more than they would if they shopped on impulse. Conversely, convenient stores have the â€Å"pay at the pump† option in order save the time and money of the customers who would carry out extra shopping if they were to pay inside the convenient store. These two answers are not consistent since one promotes impulse buying while the other does not. With the rising cost of health, the company created a corporate wellness program in order to motivate workers to stay healthy. However, there was complacency on the part of the employees in adopting the wellness program, which witnessed a few employees following the training regime. These two outlets put blue jeans on sale in order to attract customer who eventually buy other brands of jeans. In this case, these outlets recognize the role of conducting a sale in one commodity will eventually attract customers who will not only purchase the blue jeans on sale, but also purchase other commodities that the outlets sold. Pantyhose are not

The Environment and Our Difficult Relationship with Fuel Essay

The Environment and Our Difficult Relationship with Fuel - Essay Example It expresses the rationality of Man and the objectivity of his choices. In terms of food, the choices we make can significantly impact our health, whether we choose to eat a low or high calorie diet, whether we prefer to eat hygienic home-cooked food over the junk food we eat in restaurants or whether we prefer to eat fresh food as opposed to frozen food. It is high time that we challenge our unconditional trust for the health claims on the products of food manufacturing companies including genetically modified food and our ignorance of what constitutes healthy food, the perception of which has lately been tarnished. A similar perspective is shared by Micheal Pollen as elucidated in his article â€Å"Unhappy Meals.† The tone of Pollen’s article is full of sarcasm at the evolved concept of healthy food, much to my liking, the author states â€Å"A health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat,† (Pollen, 1). ... 40). The very introduction of such health claims on manufactured food was nothing more than a profit maximizing technique employed to increase sales. This has led to a change in the consumption patterns and is â€Å"destroying the traditional food cultures,† (Pollen, p. 65). The fact that after the introduction of the 1977 Dietary Goals in the United States of America, majority of the food manufactured was low fat (since that was recommended by the nutritionists ), one would have expected an overall decrease in the level of obesity of the population in general, but is that what happened? Unfortunately not! This simple fact speaks volumes about the low – fat claims made by the food manufacturing companies. The flaw was also in the proposed nutritional plan. The food manufactured was low on fat but high on carbohydrates which resulted in the increased obesity (Pollen, p. 43). This shows us that the nutritional value of food and the nutritious diets proposed are mere exper iments, the results of which are not guaranteed. This does not mean that I am a proponent of consuming high levels of cholesterol; rather I feel a controlled diet is the healthiest way to leading a healthy life, as opposed to consuming products that claim to be healthy. The dichotomy of the researches surrounding the utility of Omega-3 fats is a live example of the supportive and contradictory empirical evidence to support such health claims (Pollen, p. 38). Similar researches are questioning the validity of the food pyramid we have been studying for years. In his book Gary Taubes seeks to clarify many of the prevalent notions people have about methods of

Critical Thinking for Managers Questions Assignment

Critical Thinking for Managers Questions - Assignment Example 2. Peyton Manning makes millions of dollars a year for throwing a football. Why does he make so much more than teachers who educate our children? Why does he make more than doctors who could save your life? In a capitalist world, the demand and demand for a product dictates its price. In this case, it is evident that the demand for entertainment by consumers from people extraordinary skills like Peyton Manning is high while the supply is short. Hence, Peyton Manning and other athletes who provide entertainment with extraordinary skills earn more than teachers and doctors whose skills are not as extraordinary as athletes’ skills. Milk is strategically placed at the back of a convenient store by virtue of the product being a necessity item whose consumption is high. Hence, placing milk at the front in a convenient store cannot tempt consumers to buy other products since they will only pick the necessities and leave the convenient store without spending more than they would if they shopped on impulse. Conversely, convenient stores have the â€Å"pay at the pump† option in order save the time and money of the customers who would carry out extra shopping if they were to pay inside the convenient store. These two answers are not consistent since one promotes impulse buying while the other does not. With the rising cost of health, the company created a corporate wellness program in order to motivate workers to stay healthy. However, there was complacency on the part of the employees in adopting the wellness program, which witnessed a few employees following the training regime. These two outlets put blue jeans on sale in order to attract customer who eventually buy other brands of jeans. In this case, these outlets recognize the role of conducting a sale in one commodity will eventually attract customers who will not only purchase the blue jeans on sale, but also purchase other commodities that the outlets sold. Pantyhose are not

Technology, Globalization & Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology, Globalization & Change - Assignment Example In response to technological revolution, new approaches and tools are developed to counter the emerging challenges. For instance, new concepts of manufacturing are being implored to enable multi production in industries which in turn translates to high productivity.Additional, computer technology and microprocessor integrated into several products enables software differentiation. Computer systems and networks also greatly alter management approach to issues. Business is increasingly getting globalized courtesy of latest communication technologies which overhaul equipment and logistical technology.Morover, technological factors and trends have contributed to a number of factors. Notable among these factors are aspects such as, rapid increase in rates of technology diffusion and change, age of information, intensity in terms of knowledge increase and lastly the sprouting of positive feed back in industries. In summary, development of new mindsets, tools, organizations and concepts hav e now become a prerequisite for every manager. In order to navigate through the new competitive landscape, further research is required to enable managers be at a better position to handle and respond to the new emerging trends. For a company to withstand the various challenges that emanate from the new competitive landscape, the management can put in place a variety of measures to be at par in terms of responding to these challenges. As a manager, I would recommend to the board of directors to adopt the following measures. Firstly and as recommended by Bettis and Michael, the staff should be able to develop a new mindset on how to approach business. This can be made possible when the company initiate extensive programs and also through invitation of resource persons. Extensive programs enable staff members to learn more about the emerging challenges and the likely remedies that can be adopted to counter the various challenges. On the other hand, Invitation of resource persons that are professionals in respective fields of technology such as software and e-marketing may also enlighten staff members about contemporary trends. New tools should also be developed to enable the company counter the challenges brought about by technology. This can be done through introduction and embracing technological systems such as within a company’s communication department and logistical departments. New concepts should also be embraced to replace the old ones. For example, slower methods of communication can be replaced with more effective and efficient ones. New technological aspects such as tele- conferencing should be adopted by a company if possible. This is because such a concept is not only convenient but also saves time too. As suggested by Grubler, Bettis and Michael, I would recommend to the Board of Directors to embrace research as an essential component of the companies objectives. For example, how technology can be used to meet customers satisfaction and inc rease efficiency in terms of timely and effective service delivery. Research would also enable the company to establish what is still relevant and what has been by passed by season in terms of technology brought about by the new competitive landscape. For instance, a telecommunication company should inject more funds on mobile phone research other than land line because it is contemporary and convenient to

LABOR ROOM ACCOMMODATION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN TAGUM CITY

LABOR ROOM ACCOMMODATION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN TAGUM CITY PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE Background of the Study Comfort is a concept that has a strong association with nursing. Nurses traditionally provide comfort to patients and their families through interventions that can be called comfort measures. The intentional comforting actions of nurses strengthen patients and their families. Caring is about how nurses do their work. The effects of caring are difficult to measure; the effects of comfort interventions (including caring) are measureable(http://www.thecomfortline.com/FAQ.html#beginnings).   Date  Retrieved May 20,2010.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hospital has been the traditional setting for providing care for people. These individuals were admitted to the hospital and were not discharged until they were fully recovered or had used all of the service available within the hospitals (Fundamentals of Nursing Taylor et al. 1993). Hospital specifically in labor room is  in which women in labor are monitored prior to delivery (http://www.pregnology.com/AZ/L/1). Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical comfort include deficit in physiological mechanism that are disrupted or at risk because of an illness or invasive procedure.Social comfort can get through family, friends co-workers, society and relationship with all of the above. Environmental needs include orderliness, quiet, comfortable, furniture, minimal oders and safety as far as is possible in the setting. Psychospiritual comfort needs include the needs of motivation and trust in order for the family to rise above or more peacefully through the discomfort of painful procedure or trauma that cannot be immediately relieved. (Kolcaba).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Todays findings, based on responses 10 NHS health trust, were obtained by the conservatives who attached the government for failing to deliver world-class maternity care for women in London, shadow health secretary Andrew Lasey said, new mothers should not be put through the trauma of giving birth in such inappropriate places. A Washington hospital there were six reported case last year (2008) where babies were born on the antecital ward because of delivery rooms on labor ward (http:www.thisisLondon.comVIC) Date Retrieved, February 22, 2010. Birth Center is designed to provide a comforting, safe experience for every patient during labor. The intrapartum nurses on our unit are attentive to specific patient requests and are recognized for their competence and expertise as key health care providers. Their goal is a safe and healthy delivery for every woman. A large percentage of our direct care nursing staff is nationally certified in their field of expertise and several staff members are also Masters prepared nationally certified nurse midwives. In addition to a highly experienced staff, we also have the pleasure of working with Portland Doulas who are available to support our patients  (http://www.ohsu.edu/) Date Retrieved, May 20,2010 In the hospital of Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House all labor-delivery-recovery rooms (LDRs) are designed to accommodate the birthing process from labor through delivery and recovery of mother and baby. Equipment is moved into the room as needed, rather than moving the patient to the equipped room. Each labor room shall contain a hand washing facility and have access to a toilet room. One toilet room may serve two labor rooms. Labor rooms shall have controlled access with doors that are arranged for observation from a nursing station. At least one shower (which may be separate from the labor room if under staff control) for use of patients in labor shall be provided. Windows in labor rooms, shall be located, draped, or otherwise arranged, to preserve patient privacy from casual observation from outside the labor room. Labor room size should be determined by analyzing the needs of the resident(s) to move about the room in a wheelchair, gain access to at least one side of h er bed, turn and wheel around the bed, equipment, including chair, stretcher, and IV stand (http://mapiles.com/cebu-puericulture-center-and-maternity-house-inc/) Date Retrieved, May 24, 2010. The Labor Room of Davao Regional Hospital, Apokon Tagum City is described as one of the most over-populated areas inside the hospital because without complication 3 cms. and up will enter the labor room if with complications they will directly enter the labor room. There were 10 beds available, if a woman belongs to OB ward she will share the bed to another woman; however, if a woman belongs to private rooms she needs not to share the bed to another woman. DRH is considered as one of the tertiary hospitals in the Philippines. In which, this usually has a full complement of services. Since, Davao Regional Hospital cannot say No to patients because it is a public, government establishment. They cannot control the increasing number of patients that were being admitted. Because of that matter pregnant women is subjected to physical, social, environmental and psychospiritual discomfort. The researchers desire to conduct this study because we anticipated that the comfort of pregnant women needs to be studied further if the number of admitted patient influences the comfort. Furthermore, the problem affects the wide variety of pregnant women in Davao Regional Hospital, Tagum City since they are the one who will be deliberated with their situation inside the labor room, because this problem occurs especially if it is a government establishment. Statement of the Problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This study aims to determine the relationship between labor room accomodation and comfort of pregnant women in Davao Regional Hospital, Tagum City. Specifically, this study will answer  Ã‚  the following questions: What is the extent of labor room accomodation in terms of: 1.1 Bed assignment 1.2 Nursing assistance 2. What is the level of comfort of pregnant women in terms of: 2.1 Physical 2.2 Social 2.3 Environmental 2.4 Psychospiritual   Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Is there significant difference on the extent of labor room accomodation when analyzed according to:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.1 Parity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.2 Hospital room accomodation   Ã‚  4. Is there a significant difference on the level of comfort of pregnant women when analyzed according to:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.1 Parity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.2 Hospital room accomodation   5. Is there a significant relationship between the extent  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  labor room accomodation and the level of comfort of pregnant women. Hypothesis There is no significant relationship between the labor room accomodation and the level of comfort of pregnant women. There is no significant difference on the extent of labor room accommodation when analyzed according to parity and hospital room accommodation. There is no significant difference on the level of comfort of pregnant women when analyzed according to parity and hospital room accommodation. There is no significant relationship between the extent of labor room accommodation and the level of comfort of pregnant women. Review of Related Literature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several and varied sources were used and read to gather relevant literature and research. Professional books, journals, periodicals and related research were found valuable sources of articles worthy of being included in the chapter. These article were valuable in the construction of research instruments. Moreover, they helped  Ã‚  enriched the  Ã‚  contents of such. Bed Assignment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hospital address capacity issues in a number of ways. A common approach is to seek licensure for more beds an expensive investment. Expanding bed capacity through licensure may be necessary. But incorporating a bed management system is a less costly solution that makes better use of existing resources. Bed management systems maximize existing capacity by efficiently moving patients through care delivery. Bed manages systems provides nurses data necessary to assess performance measures based on activity, thus increasing resource of effectiveness.(Technology alleviates bed management woes by: Pam Parker, RN, C, BSN, MBA; Nursing Management 2005) Date Retrieved, May 21, 2010. Federal health planners proposed a series standards for most of the nations hospitals that they said would reduce the number of unneeded beds by 100,00 over the next seven years. The standards, which are aimed at further constraining almost runaway hospital charges, would limit acute care hospital beds to four per 1, 000 persons throught the country and set a minimum level of 80 percent occupancy in general hospitals in an effort to force the closing of inefficient and expensive facilities. The specifics of the proposals are also intended in the interests of efficiency to concentrate obstetrical and pediatric services in fewer hospitals and reduce the numbers of high cost (http://news.google.com/newspapers) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. The bed must be adjustable that can be lowered or raised to the position to make you feel more comfy while laboring. So while setting yourself in your delivery or labor room and you dont want using pain relief be sure to pray first and offer all the things that will happen at that moment then have a relaxation and breathing techniques, find comfortable position while in labor, listen to soft and romantic music. Think of good memories with your love ones and think something that makes you smile to ease your pain in laboring. Always think positive so that you can manage the pain (http://www.helium.com/items/1809340-what-to-expect-in-the-labor-room) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Nearly all hospitalized laboring women spend most of the time in bed. We made simple but radical modifications to a hospital labor room, which included the removal of the standard hospital bed and the addition of equipment to promote relaxation, mobility, and calm (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489810) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. The investigators noted that the bed is a major reason for lack of mobility. Its prominence conveys that it is the appropriate place for laboring women, and a woman in bed offers ready access for interventions, an observation backed up by research. (http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/07/beds-and-birth-rooms.html) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Nursing Assistance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a pregnant trauma patient presents, nurses face and unusual situation; there may be two injured patients, one inside the another. As nurses, we must asses and treat one patient whose body has been anatomically and physiologically change by pregnancy and another whom we cannot see, touch, inserted an IV catheter into, or place an oxygen mask on. Its essential that we understand the changes associated with pregnancy, which can affect both the nature of an injury and  Ã‚  the body respones to it, and their implication in the assessment and treatment of both patients. (Prauma in pregnancy by: Laura M. Criddle, PWD, RN, CEN, CRN, FAEN) Date Retrieved, May 21, 2010 The labor nurse is responsible for monitoring, blood work, vaginal exams, paperwork and many things that you need for giving birth. She is your direct connection to your doctor or midwife and informing them how your labor is going on. She can also give you some suggestions for comfort in your labor from positioning to medications. (http://www.helium.com/items/1809340-what-to-expect-in-the-labor-room) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. In todays  hospitals  and extended care facilities a nurse assistant is an important part of a health care team that includes many personnel outside of  nurses. Nurse assistants are needed to provide routine care so that nurses can provide care that only they can perform, as outlined by each states Nurse Practice Acts. The nurse assistant must not only be very skilled in the actual  procedures  being performed but must also be able to observe a patients condition and report that information back to the nurse. Due to other responsibilities, the nurse cannot spend large amounts of time in the room with the patient so the nurse assistant is often referred to as the nurses eyes and ears (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_nursing_assistant) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Nurse-midwives are registered nurses with advanced training in care of obstetric patients. They provide care for about 6% of the birth in the United States and Canada (ventura et al. 1998). Nurse-midwives may practice with physicians or independently and with an arrangement for a physician back up. They usually see low risk obstetrics patients .( Wong et al. 2002) Nursing assistance has a traditional role and a professional role to fulfill: of clinical assessment of the progress of labor and physical status of mother and fetus. In addition, emotional support is provided by expressing caring and dependability as well as being an advocate for the childbearing woman if needed.   They should display a tolerant non-judgmental attitude, ensuring that the woman is accepted whatever her reactions to labour may be. Women who feel in control of their own bodies, who retain control of their behavior and who feel they have an active part in decision making have a more satisfactory birth experience. (Green et la 1990, Lindow et l 1998, Wallace et al 1995). Physical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bed rest is often prescribed to pregnant women who shows signs of distress of preterm labor, despite of evidenced of its effectiveness in preventing adverse outcomes. Although often thought of as benign, bed rest may include many psychologic and metabolic changes related to musculoskeletal reconditioning. The long term effects of bed rest need to be better understood, and woman who have been on bed rest may need close assessment and rehabilitation to facilitate a return to function and prevent injury (http;//www.medscape.com/viewarticle/436416). Date Retrieved, February 25, 2010.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Back pain during late pregnancy is a frequent clinical problem. Very little is known about the impact of this symptom on the quality of life among pregnant women with back pain. The objective of the study is to know the influence of back pain and physical ability on quality of life in late pregnancy. Irrespective of back pain the pregnant women studied featured lower quality of life (QOL) compared with published data on healthy women. Among the women with back problems, who had the most impaired QOL, the factors affecting QOL were mostly related to physical ability (http;//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pbmed/10789670) Date Retrieved, February 25, 2010.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All women stated they were physically supported by their female companions. Examples of this physical help included position changing, massaging, and help with walking them to the bathroom. The majority ( n=18) of women stated that the presence of their female relative helped facilitate communicating their wishes and needs to the care providers. The remaining seven women stated that the presence of their female support relative created some minor conflict with midwives, who seemed to view the relatives as interfering  with the process of care. (Enkin, M., Keriese, M., Neilson, J., Crowther, C., Duley, L., Hodnett, E., et al. (2000). Previous research has shown that intrapartum practices in Jordan are not always based on the best on the best evidenced in the literature (Khresheh; Kresheh et al., 2007; Sweidan et al., 2008). Women in the sample expected poor support from their healthcare professionals, but when allowed to have support in labor from family members, they readjusted their expectations and had a more positive experience (Dahlen et al., 2008) The physical support provided by the female companion encouraged this sample of pregnant woman to relax. This may reduce their stress response resulting in an improved pattern of labor ( Taylor et al., 2000). The physiological dimension addresses factors that affect the clients physical status, such as rest and relaxation, treatment of medical condtions, level of nutrition and hydration, and elimination of wastes (Kolcaba, 1992a, p. 34). Physical comfort encompassed all the physiological ramifications of medical problems, which may or may not result in physical sensations immediately. Example of some necessary condtions for physical comfort, in this board sense, are homeostatic mechanism such as fluid/electrolyte balance, stable and normal blood chemistries, adequate oxygen saturation, and other metabolic indicators of health. An additional insight about physical comfort came form Hamiltons comfort theme of positioning. The importance of this type of comfort was prominent in ergonomics and was associated with increased function and productivity (http://books.google.com.ph/books). Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Social   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The friendliness and caring of all staff members was central in achieving social comfort. This included their approach and attitudes, continuity of care and a meaningful schedule of events and activites. In such instances, where patients have a limited network of support, nurses may be the most important source of social comfort and therapeutic use of self may enhance comfort more than nurses might realize. Nurses and other team members can facilitate social comfort of the family unit, however, by making them feel at home, important, intelligent and valued. (http://books.google.com.ph/books). Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Many studies have provided evidence about the positive influences that women experience when receiving labor support from a companion present during birth. Sauls 2002 published an overview of the randomized controlled trials related to the effectiveness of labor support on birth and maternal outcomes, reporting that all studies found benefits; the most powerful beneficial effects occurred when support was provided by a birth companion rather than by a health professional. Other studies of laboring have also identified the positive effects of help given by a support companion who was present and provided verbal encouragement (Parpinelli Osis, 2007). A supportive companion has been shown to have a possitive influence on the womans satisfaction with the birth process, and does not interfere with other events, interventions, or neonatal outcome, or breastfeeding. The evidence for the effectiveness of support in labor is strong enough for the World Health Organization to have recommended that woman in labor must be accompanied by people with whom she feels comfortable and trusts ( Bruggemann, , Cecatti, Neto, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is scarcity of evidence on the effects of the presence of companion during the birth process in developing countries. In a larger part of this current study (Kresheh, 2008), a total of 226 nulliparous women who were admitted to Al-karak government hospital for birth were asked if they wanted a female relative to stay with them. Findings showed significant effects on labor and birth outcomes, with less use of pharmacologic pain relief, and improvement in the womens general perception of their birth experience (World Health Organization. 2007). Detractors form social comfort include isolation form family, disregard for cultural traditions, uncaring or anxious nursing behaviors, fragmented care, lack of nursing care when desired, poor social support, and limited resources for ongoing care at home after discharge (http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2008/12/sample-resear-2.html) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Environmental   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clearly, the right environment for healing and health promotion was considered an important source of comfort by nurses interested in holistic care. Today, environmental comfort is a key aspect of units specifically designed to promote physical and cognitive function of hospitalized persons (http://books.google.com.ph/books? ) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. There are more than 4 million chemical mixtures in homes and businesses in this country, with little information on the effects most of them during pregnancy. However, a few are known to be harmful to an unborn baby. Most of these are found in the workplace, but certain environmental pollutants found in air and water, as well as chemicals used at home, may pose as risk during pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A pregnant woman can inhale these chemicals, ingest them in food or drink, or, in some cases, absorb them through the skin. For most hazardous substances, a pregnant woman would have to be exposed to a large amount for a long time in order for them to harm her baby. Most workplace have preventive measures to help make sure this doesnt happen. Pregnant women can take steps to help protect themselves and their babies from pollutants and potentially risky chemicals used at home. (http://www.marchofdimes.com/aboutus/681_9146.asp) Date Retrieved, December 19, 2010.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since almost all non-pharmacological methods of pain relief require you to relax in some ways, having an environment that promotes relaxation can improve your chances of laboring without medication. Even if you choose to use medication during your labor, the environment sets the tone for your labor and may play a part in your mood. (http://www.birthingnaturally.net/birthplan/options/environment.html) Date Retrieved, December 19, 2010. Factors in the environment that distract form pregnant womens comfort are cold, noise, chaos, endless bright lights, bad odors, lack of privacy and uncomfortable stretchers, chairs, and beds. Unmet safety need can detract form comfort and include a lack of properly functioning equipment, security problems, security hazards, inaacurate care poor aseptic/sterile techniques resulting in nosocomial infections and medication or treatment errors. Freeing patients form restraints and restrictive devices such as intravenous lines, noninvasive monitors and intermittent, rather than continuous, monitoring when appropriate (http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2008/12/sample-resear-2.html) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. The labor room should be such that the woman is not considered is not constrained by lack of privacy or lack of supports such as cushions and beds from adopting her preferred position. In a hospital environment, it may help to move the labor from its traditional place in the middle of the room, and to place other support such as cushions and birth balls the room so that the mother is free to roam from one to another as the labor dictates. Low lighting and music of her choice may help the woman to see a safe and secure place to give birth. Minimizing unnecessary intrusion by the other   member of staff is essential.(Fraser et al.2003) Psychospiritual Anxiety is a major distractor form psychospiritual comfort and some include in this context are confusing, incomplete or negative information; threatening diagnoses; fear and the prspect of a change in routine or health status (http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2008/12/sample-resear-2.html) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Hamiltons second comfort theme was self-esteem, including faith in God, being independent, feeling relaxed, being informed and feeling useful. The contexts of pyschological and spiritual comfort are combined to form psychospirtual context. Psychospiritual comfort includes mental, emotional, and spiritual components of self. The definition that has evolved is whatever gives life meaning for an inidvial and entails self-esteem, self-concept, sexuality and ones relationship to a higher order or being. (Kolcaba, K., 1997). Parity Traditionally,  elder or mature pregnant women are believed to have more adverse pregnancy outcomes  than younger pregnant women. In fact, the great majority of  the medical literature concerning late childbearing relates  to women between the ages of 35-40 years. However, many   of these studies showed the pregnancy performance and neonatal  outcome among the group of mothers aged >35 years are similar  to those of younger age (Kirz  et al., 1985; Ho  et al., 1986).  These findings therefore constitute a challenge to the current  definition of advanced maternal age, which uses 35 years as  the cut-off point with reference to the age-related effects  on pregnancy outcome. The primiparous mothers had a higher incidence of antepartum  hemorrhage and hypertensive disorder. The factors influencing birth experience as acceptable were multiparous women (Para 2-3) in 128 (68.08%) cases; primigravidas in 61 (80.26%) cases, study have shown that the pain threshold of pregnant women differs from the number of birth experiences. Furthermore, labour pain is nearly a universal experience for childbearing women but threshold of this pain varies between individuals (http://jpma.org.pk/full_article_text.php?article_id=2106) Date Retrieved, May 24, 2010. Hospital room Accommodation   In some countries a labor companion is not allowed for cultural or other reasons (policy does not allow, place too crowded, no privacy, bad advice from companion etc). It was discussed and agreed that there is need for midwives to use their knowledge and scientific evidence available to influence policy to ensure that in those countries where companions are not allowed, this can be considered. In those countries where the companion is allowed but not permitted into the labor ward because they give bad advice, the midwives were challenged to ensure that the companion is given adequate information before the labor starts so that the companion becomes more positive and helpful during labor.  Ã‚  http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2005/ICM_report_eng.pdf) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. According to the CHCAAs interpretation, the Ontario Health Insurance Act requires that public hospital must provide overnight accommodation at the standard ward level at no charge to the patient. In addition, The Canada Health Act states that all Canadians are entitled to the level of accommodation required by the patients medical condition at no charge. Funding including Federal Transfer Payments for these scenarios is provided to the hospitals by the province (http://www.chcaa.org/education/HospitalWP.pdf) Date Retrieved, May 23, 2010. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework In the theory of comfort by Katharine Kolcaba staes that the comfort is a concept that has a strong association with nursing. Nurses traditionally provide comfort to patients and their families through interventions that can be called comfort measures. The international comforting actions of nurses strengthen patients and their families ( who can be found into their own homes, in hospitals, agencies, communities, states and nations ). When patients and families are strengthened by actions of health care personnel (nurses ), they can be engage in health seeking behavior. (http://www.thecomfortline.com/comfort-theory.html) The researcher anchored this theory in their research since the dependent variable in this research is comfort. Basically the main topic here is about the comfort that the mothers in the labor room are experiencing. every patient in the hospital deserves to have comfort. Kolcaba derived the contexts in which comfort is experienced form the literature of holism and she defined them as physical, psychospiritual, environmental and social. The physical comfort pertains to the bodily sensations. Psychospiritual relate to internal awareness of self, including esteem, self-concept, sexuality and meaning in life, relationship to a higher order or being. Environmental have relevance to external surroundings, conditions and influences. Social appertain to interpersonal, family and societal relationships. In this research, the researchers are trying to find out the relationship of lack of beds in the comfort of pregnant women in the labor room of Davao Regional Hospital Tagum City. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study. It consist of three variables. The Independent variable is the labor room accommodation and the dependent variable is the comfort of pregnant women. The moderators are the parity and ward.   Independent variable Dependent varieable Comfort of Pregnant Women Physical Comfort Social Comfort Environmental Comfort Psychospiritual Comfort Labor Room Accommodation Bed assignment Nursing Assistance   Parity Hospital Room Accommodation   Moderator  variable   Figure 1 Conceptual Paradigm of the Study Significance of the study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This study will give benefits and useful information to people in the field of nursing particularly: Pregnant women:  the outcome of the study will help them obtain their desired comfort when in labor. Nurses:  Ã‚  The outcome of the study will give them the knowledge the value of comfort of Pregnant women. Administration:  Ã‚  The outcome of the study will recognize adjustment to cater and to give genuine care for all the pregnant women. Student Nurses:  The outcome fo the study will assist them to provide more extensive comfort of pregnant women appropriately. Definition of terms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For easy understanding, in the study the following major terms are herein defined conceptually and operationally. Labor room accomodation. The labor room should be such that the woman is not considered is not constrained by lack of privacy or lack of supports such as cushions and beds from adopting her preferred position. In a hospital environment, it may help to move the labor from its traditional place in the middle of the room, and to place other support such as cushions and birth balls I the room so that the mother is free to roam from one to another as the labor dictates. Low lighting and music of her choice may help the woman to see a safe and secure place to give birth. Minimizing unnecessary intrusion by the other   member of staff is essential.(Fraser et al.2003). In our study, it refers to the intrapartal care received by the pregnant women in Davao Regional Hospital. Bed assignment. Hospital beds are electrically operated. The staff will show you how to work your bed properly. Your hospital bed is probably higher and narrower than your bed at home, and includes bedside rails for your protection. The rails may be raised for your safety or at your request, if youre resting, recovering from surgery or taking certain medications. http://www.multicare.org/allenmore/hospital-amenities/ In our study, beds are classified as to what hospital room accommodation is choosen. Nursing assistance.  The Nursing Assistant is an important member of the health care team who often holds a high level of experience and ability, but without qualification is unable to often perform some tasks due to issues of liability and legality.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_nursing_assistant. In our study, it focuses on the maternity care from which the pregnant women is subjected inside the labor room until she is